During half term, a group of our A Level Physics students had the opportunity to visit CERN in Geneva. CERN is home to the world’s largest particle accelerator, which directly links to the particle physics content studied in Year 13, offering students valuable insight into the real-world research behind the concepts they are learning in class.

Here’s what Olivia F-C (Year 13) learned from the trip:

By Olivia F-C, Year 13

I found the CERN trip to be an amazingly enriching experience, both culturally and academically. As a year 13, I was incredibly lucky to have recently studied subatomic particles and their accelerators and was inspired by seeing the application of these principles into groundbreaking research that united a global academic community to push the boundaries of human knowledge and discovery. The passion for science and discovery was seen in everyone we encountered at CERN, but was especially noticeable in our tour guide when we visited the ALICE experiment, and were able to visit areas where the scientists process data, such as that which discovered the Higgs Boson. We were also lucky enough to visit the UN and the Palace Wilson to learn about the history of the League of Nations and the important work the UN does, like CERN, to promote international cooperation. Overall, the trip was a perfect mix of exploration, academic excitement and lots of great Swiss hot chocolate during our visits to Geneva’s old town- thanks to Mr Jenkins, Mr Lawrence and Mrs Collins for taking us!